Object supporting means



Jan. 5, 1960 w. E. HULL 2,919,880

OBJECT SUPPORTING MEANS I Filed Aug. 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

WALTER E. HULL Jan. 5, 1960 w. E. HULL OBJECT SUPPORTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1956 R m m m WALTER E. HULL BY Zak/Wm,

A'r-ronun United States Patent-O 1 2,919,880 OBJECT SUPPORTING MEANS Walter E. Hull, Cortland, Ohio Application August 24, 1956, Serial No. 606,113

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-276) The present invention relates to object supporting means, more particularly to an adjustable bracket con struction for securing a body such as a compass or the like to a support, and the principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved constructions of such character.

In providing a bracket structure for mounting a compass or the like in automobiles, boats and the like, considerable difiiculty has arisen in developing a construction which mounts with ease in practically all makes and models and which gives the user the option of a wide choice of mounting locations.

The present invention permits mounting a compass or the like in an almost endless variety of locations in automobiles of practically any make or model. Further, the construction herein disclosed is well adapted for economical, mass production and packaging and has a minimum of parts requiring assembly by the user to thereby simplify installation and reduce the danger of lost parts. These and other advantages will readily become apparent from a study of the following description and from the drawings appended hereto.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application, there is shown, for purpose of illustration, embodiments which the invention may assume, and in these drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a compass mounted by means of an embodiment of the present invention on the lower windshield molding of an automobile,

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, other positions of adjustment being shown by phantom lines,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the compass mounted on an upper windshield molding, other positions of adjustment being shown by phantom lines,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, similar to Figure 2, but showing the parts in longitudinal section,

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view generally corresponding to the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 5, and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4, but of another embodiment of the invention.

While the present invention is herein disclosed for use in supporting a compass C, it will be evident that it may readily be used in supporting other instruments or objects.

The embodiments of the invention shown in Figures 1 through 6 comprises a support leg 10 which is generally U-shaped in cross section (see especially Figures 4 and 6), to provide spaced leg portions 11. This construction imparts a more finished appearance to the support leg and greatly increases its rigidity. A mounting foot 12 is secured to support leg 10 adjacent one end thereof to provide means for securing the leg to a support such as, for example, the lower windshield molding strip 13 of an automobile as indicated in Figures 1, 2, and 4. Foot 12 has a tubular portion 14 of a length to fit between the leg portions 11 of the support leg 10 and a portion 15 extending transversely of such tubular portion. Portion 15 of foot 12 is apertured at 16 to pass a mounting screw 17. When foot 12 is secured to molding strip 16 as herein shown, screw 17 may com- .on the other.

prise one of the usual screws employed in holding the molding in place. It will be apparent that, if desired, foot 12 may be secured to the dashboard of the automobile, boat or other conveyance or to any other convenient support.

In order to provide for adjustability between support leg 10 and mounting foot 12, the latter is secured to the former by means of a screw 18 which passes through aligned apertures in leg portions 11 of the support leg and through tubular portion 14 of the mounting foot positioned between the leg portions. The head of screw 18 bears against one leg portion 11 while a nut (not shown) is carried by the screw and bears against the other leg portion. With the nut tightened on the screw, tubular portion 14 is tightly clamped between the leg portions 11 to hold the supporting leg and the mounting foot rigidly together. With the nut loosened, the mounting foot can be pivoted about the pintle provided by screw 18 to provide for adjusting the foot relative to the leg.

While one end of support leg 10 is adapted to be secured to mounting foot 12, the other end of such leg is adapted to be secured to the object to be supported, such as the compass C. In the present embodiment, the end of leg 10 to which the compass is secured is formed to a semi-spherical configuration which provides a wall 19 having a convexity 20 on one side and a concavity 21 For a purpose to be disclosed, wall 19 is provided with an aperture 22, which in the present embodiment,is elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the support leg.

As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, compass C carries a projecting stud 23 whose one end is preferably permanently anchored to the compass and whose other end is formed with an integral head 24. Any suitable construction may be employed for securing the stud to the compass and as one example thereof, the one end of the stud may pass through an aperture 25 in the compass housing and have its end flared outwardly at 26 to afiix the two together.

The portion of the stud within aperture 25 is herein shown provided with radially extending teeth, or splines, 27 which insure against relative rotation between the stud and the compass. Another construction which could be employed to secure the stud to the compass would be to mold the stud into the compass housing at the time the latter is molded.

The portion of stud 23 intermediate its head 24 and the compass C is threaded at 28 to receive a nut-like member 29 which is assembled with the stud prior to the time the latter is secured to the compass. In the present construction, the threaded portion of the stud also provides a shoulder which engages with the compass housing to limit extension of the stud therein. So long as stud 23 remains anchored to the compass, member 29 cannot escape from the stud and become lost since it is constrained to movement along the threads 28 between the compass and the head of the stud. This is a decided advantage over constructions which have separable parts as will readily be apparent.

As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, the underside of head 24 has a semi-spherical configuration for comple mentary engagement with concavity 21 of wall portion 19 while the adjoining portion of nut member 29 has a semi-spherical configuration for complementary engage ment with convexity 20 of the wall portion.

,In order to provide for ready assembly and disassembly of stud 23 with support leg 10, head 24is of a width less than the width of aperture 22 to permit the head 'to pass through the aperture. The length of head 24, however, is greater than the width of aperture 22 to 'providefor engagement of the head behind the wall. a.

In assembling stud 23 with support arm 10, the compass together with the stud affixed thereto will be turned so that the longitudinal axis of head 24 is generally coincident with the longitudinal axis of aperture 22. With the parts thus positioned, the head will readily pass through the aperture. The stud will then be rotated approximately ninety degrees about its axis, so that the longitudinal axis of the head is generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the aperture. With the parts thus positioned (see Figure 5) the head will be engaged behind the Wall. Nut member 29 may then be threaded along stud 23 toward head 24 until wall 19 is tightly clamped between respective abutments provided by the head and the nut member to thereby hold the stud and the arm in the desired adjusted relation. Disassembly will be efiected by reversing the above operation.

As illustrated in Fign'e 3, the present embodiment of the invention is also adapted to secure the compass to an overhead support such as, for example, an upper windshield molding strip 30. To mount the compass in this manner, it is only necessary to rotate arm about the axis of stud 23 so that it extends upwardly from the stud as shown in Figure 3 instead of downwardly as shown in Figure 2.

It will be readily understood that as a result of the elongation of aperture 22 in support arm 10, a considerable range of adjustment in angularity between stud 23 and the arm is provided since the stud may be positioned anywhere along the longitudinal axis of the aperture. This is indicated by the phantom line positions of the support arm in Figures 2 and 3. Furthermore, since the diameter of the stud portion which passes through the aperture is less than the width of the aperture, adjustment of the stud in a direction transversely of the longitudinal axis of the aperture is also provided.

At times and as illustrated in the embodiment shown in Figure 7, it may be desirable to provide a suction cup mounting so that the compass may be secured to a windshield or other smooth surface. This embodiment comprises a suitable suction cup 3-1 which is shown attached to a windshield 32 in the usual manner. The portion of the suction cup spaced from its suction face 33 is formed to provide a recess 34 having an inwardly directed annular lip 35 adjacent the mouth of the recess. A cup-shaped member 36 is adapted to be carried by the suction cup, member 36 having an outwardly turned flange 37 which engages under lip 35 of the suction cup to secure the latter and the former together. In the present embodiment, a disc 38 is interposed between member 36 and the suction cup to prevent undue flexing of the latter.

Cup-shaped member 36 has a semi-spherical configuration similar to that of support arm 10 to provide a convexity a and a concavity 21a which respectively corresponds to the convexity 20 and the concavity 21 of the support arm. Member 36 also has an elongated aperture 22a which corresponds to aperture 22 of the support arm. Since the compass, in this embodiment, is adapted to be secured to member 36 in the same manner as heretofore described, it is believed that a more detailed description thereof is unnecessary.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described, hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiments are illustrative only, and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. An adjustable mount for a body such as a compass and the like, comprising an elongated leg U-shaped in transverse section for rigidity, one end of said leg being securable to a support and the other end being arcuate in longitudinal section to complement the U-shaped transverse section and form therewith a semi-spherical socket and the latter having an elongated opening therethrough whose direction of elongation extends lengthwise of said leg, and a stud adapted to support a body and extending through said opening for movement in the direction of opening elongation to dispose the body and said leg at various angular relations, said stud carrying relatively movable abutments selectively engageable with opposite sides of said socket to hold the body and said leg in a desired angular relation.

2. An adjustable mount for a body such as a compass and the like, comprising an elongated leg U-shaped in transverse section to provide spaced-apart side leg portions connected together by a bight portion for rigidity, one end of said leg being arcuate in longitudinal section to complement the U-shaped transverse section and form therewith a semi-spherical socket and the latter having an elongated opening therethrough whose direction of elongation extends lengthwise of said leg, a stud adapted to support a body and extending through said opening for movement in the direction of opening elongation to dispose the body and said leg at various angular relations, said stud carrying relatively movable abutments selectively engageable with opposite sides of said socket to hold the body and said leg in a desired angular relation, and foot means securable to a support and pivotally secured between said spaced-apart side leg portions at the other end of said leg for movement about its pivot to vary the angular relation between said leg and said foot means.

3. An adjustable mount for a body such as a compass and the like, comprising an elongated leg U-shaped in transverse section to provide spaced-apart side leg portions connected together by a bight portion for rigidity and said bight portion terminating short of one end of said leg and the side leg portions thereat providing spacedapart ears extending longitudinally of said leg, the other end of said leg being arcuate in longitudinal section to complement the U-shaped transverse section and form therewith a semi-spherical socket and the latter having an elongated opening therethrough whose direction of elongation extends lengthwise of said leg, a stud adapted to support a body and extending through said opening for movement in the direction of opening elongation to dispose the body and said leg at various angular relations, said stud carrying relatively movable abutments selectively engageable with opposite sides of said socket to hold the body and said leg in a desired angular relation. screw means extending between said spaced-apart cars, and foot means securable to a support and having a tubular portion extending between said ears and about said screw means for pivotal movement about the axis of the latter to vary the angular relation between said leg and the support, said angular relation being retained by operation of said screw means to draw said ears together to clamp said foot means therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 945,074 Bagley Jan. 4, 1910 1,110,183 Bonham Sept. 8, 1914 1,115,673 Honold Nov. 3, 1914 1,823,636 Winkler Sept. 15, 1931 1,837,354 Boller Dec. 22, 1931 1,883,287 Zink Oct. 18, 1932 2,146,859 Schlehner Feb. 14, 1939 2,455,919 Daon Dec. 14, 1948 2,648,256 Budreck Aug. 11, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 582,072 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1946 708,293 France Apr. 28, 1931' 

